NEW YORK, April 10, 2017 – Red Stripe, the pale lager brewed in Jamaica, announces a collaboration with SUM Entertainment to launch IGNITE URBAN® [www.igniteurban.com]. The new digital A&R platform places emerging Pop, R&B, Hip-Hop and Reggae artists in a competitive, skills-based competition to determine who has what it takes to make it in today’s music industry. The grand prize is a recording contract and the ability to work with Grammy Award-winning producers. Also announced is IGNITE URBAN’s artist ambassador, Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter Nelly.

Fully-integrated across social media platforms, IGNITE URBAN® will issue a range of challenges to competing artists to identify and nurture exceptional talent. Each challenge represents a skill needed in today’s recording and publishing industry. Throughout the competition, IGNITE URBAN® artists will receive professional insight from top singers, songwriters and producers. Contestants will also have opportunities to perform at Red Stripe sponsored concerts and festivals, and local “I do Music” curated events produced by Patchwerk Studios and IGNITE URBAN® with select radio station partners.

The top 10 IGNITE URBAN® finalists will travel to Los Angeles, CA., each producing a music video using an original song in collaboration with an IGNITE URBAN® professional mentor, and top students of Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. The finalists will perform at a live finale concert during which one Grand Prize Winner will be announced. Also, during the finale, top independent music labels have the option to sign additional artists.

The Grand Prize Winner will receive a recording contract from Block Entertainment Worldwide for a single, and their choice to work with one of three producers including Elvis “Blac Elvis” Williams (Grammy Award-winning producer / Beyoncé, Kanye West, Ciara), Zaytoven (Grammy Award-winning producer / Nicki Minaj, Future, Soulja Boy, 2 Chainz) or Jasper Cameron (Nelly, Christina Aguilera, Future). In addition, Patchwerk Recording Studios in Atlanta, GA, where artists including Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Madonna, Future, T.I. and Bruno Mars have all recorded smash hits, will premiere the winning artist’s recording through video podcasts and CBS Radio V-103/Greg Street. Additional independent labels will be at the finale which will provide the other finalists with invaluable industry exposure, and the potential to be signed to a recording contract.

“IGNITE URBAN® is the evolution of A&R, and for the first-time music industry executives will be able to better understand the value of an artist’s potential earning power through our patent-pending technology, SPIN-SCORE®. We are truly excited to team up with Red Stripe®, Patchwerk Studios, Block Entertainment and Nelly to bring the IGNITE URBAN® platform to life,” said Ron Berryman, Founder and CEO, SUM Entertainment.

“Jamaica’s signature Reggae and dancehall rhythms have influenced some of today’s top urban artists. So, when this opportunity arose, we were excited to lend our voice in finding the next urban music icon,” said Andrew Anguin, Senior Brand Manager, Caribbean Imports for Five Points Trading Co., part of the Heineken Company. “After all, as the pride of Jamaica, Red Stripe embodies singing loud and dancing with passion. Music is in our DNA.”

"For over 22 years Patchwerk Recording Studios has been the gold standard in sound. We looked at what IGNITE URBAN® presented and from a digital stand point it makes sense. In both our mission statements it’s artist first. It’s like we both have been looking for each other and finally found how the werk makes sense for today’s musician’s to succeed," adds Curtis Daniel III, COO of Patchwerk Recording Studios.

IGNITE URBAN® is accepting artists’ submissions through April 28, 2017. The competition, which runs through September 2017, is free for artists. For more details, visit IgniteUrban.com.

About FIVE POINTS TRADING COMPANY
Five Points Trading Company, a HEINEKEN USA company based in White Plains, NY, is the official U.S. importer of a range of HEINEKEN’s emerging global beer brands, including Red Stripe, Tiger, Birra Moretti, Affligem Belgian Blonde, Murphy’s Irish Stout, Prestige and Cerveja Sagres. For the latest information on our company and brands, visit us at http://fivepointstradingcompany.com/

About SUM ENTERTAINMENT
SUM Entertainment is a music and entertainment technology company offering the world’s most comprehensive digital A&R platform for measuring an artist’s ability to succeed in today’s marketplace. The patent pending SUM “Spin Score” is a collaborative scoring equity index, which qualitatively and quantitatively tracks various social and platform interactions and calculates a numerical score, thus ranking competitors. Through this proprietary system, SUM offers the most robust and complex measurement platform available for music and entertainment today. The SUM challenge engine allows artists to compete in skill-based challenges, directly engage fans on multiple levels, including interacting through social media networks. A state of the art admin allows judges, mentors, and scouts the ability to evaluate artists on social, fan engagement, and performance. In 2017, SUM will be launching a series of genre-specific, national talent scouting competitions including: IGNITE URBAN, IGNITE COUNTRY, IGNITE LATIN, IGNITE CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN, and IGNITE COMEDY. www.igniteurban.com/

About PATCHWERK RECORDING STUDIOS
Patchwerk Recording Studios (www.patchwerk.com) is a world-class recording facility that has catered to the national entertainment industry since opening in 1995. The company, which is centrally located in the heart of Midtown Atlanta, has earned a reputation for its excellent sound quality and superb customer service. Patchwerk features Georgia's only SSL 48-channel Duality Console as well as Georgia's only SSL 9000 J Series Console. The larger of the two studio rooms, Studio 9000, features design by industry leader Russ Berger (RBDG). Patchwerk has continuously serviced the top record labels from around the world and has accommodated an endless array of world-renowned talent, including TLC, Beyoncé Knowles, Outkast, Usher, 2 Chainz, Kendrick Lamar, the Neptunes, and R. Kelly.